Elections 2018
Presidential elections 2018 First election, confirmed election result
Steady support for Sauli Niinistö in different areas in the Presidential election 2018 In the first election round of the Presidential election, Sauli Niinistö received the majority of the votes cast and was elected the President of the Republic. Niinistö, a candidate of a constituency association, received 1,875,342 votes in the election, that is, 62.6 per cent of all votes cast. Niinistö gathered votes evenly in different areas. Pekka Haavisto, the candidate of the Green League received the second most votes (371,254). Haavisto’s share of votes cast was 12.4 per cent. The difference between the two candidates with most votes cast was thus 1,504,088 votes and 50.2 percentage points. The data are based on Statistics Finland's statistics on Presidential election 2018.
Helsinki 2.2.2018
Quoting is encouraged provided Statistics Finland is acknowledged as the source.
Support for the presidential candidates in the Presidential election 2018, first election, and support for the corresponding party in the Presidential election 2012, %
Sauli Niinistö/constituency association B (corresponding party KOK), Paavo Väyrynen/constituency association A (corresponding party KESK)
Niinistö’s share of votes cast was 25.6 percentage points higher than in the first round of the Presidential election in 2012. In turn, Haavisto's share of votes cast was 6.4 percentage points lower than his support in the 2012 Presidential election. The candidate of the Finns Party, Laura Huhtasaari, received the third most votes (207,337 votes), she gained 6.9 per cent of all votes cast. Paavo Väyrynen, a candidate of a constituency association, received 185,305 votes and got 6.2 per cent of all votes cast. Väyrynen's share of votes was 11.3 percentage points lower than his share of votes cast in the 2012 Presidential election. Then he was the candidate of the Centre Party of Finland. The candidate of the Centre Party in the 2018 election, Matti Vanhanen, received 122,383 votes and 4.1 per cent of all votes cast, which was 13.4 percentage points lower than the number of votes cast for the party’s candidate in the 2012 Presidential election. Tuula Haatainen, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, received the sixth most votes in the election, 97,294 votes and 3.2 per cent of all votes cast. The support for Haatainen was 3.5 percentage points lower than the support for the SDP's candidate in the 2012 Presidential elections. Merja Kyllönen, the candidate of the Left Alliance, had a share of 3.0 per cent of all votes cast, and she received 89,977 votes. The candidate of the Swedish People's Party, Nils Torvalds, got 44,776 votes, which was 1.5 per cent of votes cast.
Voting turnout fell from the previous Presidential election The voting percentage of Finnish citizens living in Finland was 69.9 per cent, which was 2.9 percentage points lower than in the first round of the Presidential election in 2012. The voting percentage rate of women was 72.9 per cent and that of men 66.8 per cent. In Mainland Finland the voting percentage was lowest in Rautavaara (57.4 per cent) and highest in Luoto (84.5 per cent).
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Persons entitled to vote, persons who voted and advance voters (Finnish citizens resident in Finland) in Presidential elections 1994, 2000, 2006, 2012 and 2018, first election 1994
2000
2006
2012
2018
Persons entitled to vote
3,874,328 3,962,283 4,063 392 4,172,200 4,246,803
Men
1,853,447 1,906,441 1,964,073 2,021,365 2,064,032
Women
2,020 881 2,055,842 2,099,319 2,150,835 2,182,771
Persons who voted
3,183,027 3,046,448 3,001,786 3,038,645 2,969,401
Men
1,493,908 1,394,915 1,375,575 1,415,471 1,378,029
Women
1,689,119 1,651,533 1,626,211 1,623,174 1,591,372
Turnout %
82.2
76.9
73.9
72.8
69.9
Men
80.6
73.2
70.0
70.0
66.8
Women
83.6
80.3
77.5
75.5
72.9
Advance voters
1,338,376 1,345,174 1,274,595 1,389,904 1,559,488
Men
594,201
575,463
541,503
610,379
686,060
Women
744,175
769,711
733,092
779,525
873,428
Advance voters, turnout % (of persons who voted)
42.0
44.2
42.5
45.7
52.5
Men
39.8
41.3
39.4
43.1
49.8
Women
44.1
46.6
45.1
48.0
54.9
Voting was more active than on the level of the whole country in the constituencies of Helsinki (72.1 per cent), Pirkanmaa (71.4 per cent), Uusimaa (71.4 per cent), Varsinais-Suomi (71.3 per cent), Vaasa (71.2 per cent), and Satakunta (70.6 per cent). Among the constituencies, the voting percentage was lowest in the constituency of Åland (58.7 per cent), of the constituencies in Mainland Finland, the voting percentage was lowest in the constituency of Savo-Karjala (66.3 per cent). The voting percentage of Finnish citizens living abroad was 13.3 per cent, which was 0.5 percentage points lower than in the Presidential election 2012. The total number of persons entitled to vote in the Presidential election 2018 was 4,498,004. The number of persons entitled to vote resident in Finland was 4,246,803 and the number of persons entitled to vote resident abroad was 251,201.
Candidate analysis The candidate analysis examines candidates’ results in the first election round of the Presidential election 2018 with the help of various background variables in classified areas. The background variables used in the analysis are the area’s degree of urbanisation, number of children and pensioners, unemployment rate and income level. For example, in areas with high unemployment, the unemployment rate is higher than the country’s average rate and vice versa. The background variables used are not mutually exclusive, for example, the area's degree of urbanisation also partially describes the area’s income level. The areas used in the analysis are formed based on voting districts, the analysis is based on 1,989 voting districts. The voting districts are grouped by each background variable into three categories. The classification of voting districts is based on the data derived from the voting register on persons entitled to vote and Statistics Finland’s statistical data.
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The analysis figures illustrate the relative difference of candidate's support in the area compared with their support in the whole country. In practice, the reported figures indicate how many percentages the candidates’ support in the area was higher or lower relative to his or her support received in the whole country. This presentation was selected because the strong concentration of votes cast on one candidate makes it difficult to interpret the difference between mere support percentages or regional support percentages calculated in percentage units. The selected examination approach makes it possible to examine differences in the candidates’ regional support regardless of the level of support attained in the election. The support for Niinistö, who received most votes in the election, was very steady in areas limited by the number of pensioners, so the share of pensioners does not appear to have an effect on his support. The support for Laura Huhtasaari does not vary significantly in areas limited in this way either. The support for Pekka Haavisto and Nils Torvalds was greater than in the whole country in areas where the number of pensioners was lower than average. The support for Matti Vanhanen and Paavo Väyrynen seems to be similar to each other examined by the share of pensioners, both candidates received more votes in relative terms in areas where the share of pensioners is high. The support for Merja Kyllönen and Tuula Haatainen was also focused somewhat on areas where the share of pensioners was high or average for the country, though clearly less than for Vanhanen and Väyrynen. Difference between the support for the candidates in the whole country and in areas specified by the number of pensioners in the Presidential election 2018, %
Areas limited by the number of children aged under seven divide the support received by the candidates into roughly two groups. The support for Kyllönen, Haavisto and Haatainen was greater than average in areas where the number of children aged under seven was low. In turn, Huhtasaari received somewhat greater support than average in areas where the number of children aged under seven was higher than average for the country. For Niinistö, Vanhanen and Väyrynen, the differences to the share of votes in the whole country were not big.
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Difference between the support for the candidates in the whole country and in areas specified by the number of children aged under seven in the Presidential election 2018, %
The support for Kyllönen and Väyrynen was focused on areas where unemployment was higher than average for the country. The support for Huhtasaari and Haatainen was also emphasised on areas with high and medium high levels of unemployment, but not as clearly. Vanhanen gathered higher support than in the whole country in areas with average levels of unemployment, but his support was clearly lower in areas with low levels of unemployment. In turn, Torvalds’ support was strongly focused on areas with low unemployment. In contrast, the area’s level of unemployment did not have much significance for Niinistö’s support. Difference between the support for the candidates in the whole country and in areas specified by unemployment in the Presidential election 2018, %
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The support for Kyllönen and Huhtasaari was similar in areas limited by income level. Both candidates’ support was slightly higher than in the whole country in areas of average income level and, to a lesser extent, in areas of low income level. The support for Väyrynen and particularly for Vanhanen was most clearly focused on areas with low income level. Haatainen’s support was slightly higher than average in the whole country in areas with average income level. Torvalds got most support in areas of high income level, while in average income level areas his support was clearly lower than the level of the whole country. The area’s income level did not have much significance for Niinistö’s support, the support figures received in areas did not differ much from the level of the whole country. Difference between the support for the candidates in the whole country and in areas specified by income level in the Presidential election 2018, %
The area’s degree of urbanisation particularly had an effect on the support for Haavisto, Vanhanen and Väyrynen. The support for Haavisto was clearly higher than in the whole country in urban areas, while in population centres and sparsely-populated areas, the support for Haavisto was clearly below the level for the whole country. Viewed by this background variable, the support profile of Vanhanen and Väyrynen was, in turn, nearly the opposite to that of Haavisto. Their support was distinctly focused on sparsely-populated areas, which was strongly emphasised for Vanhanen. For the other candidates, the degree of urbanisation had not much importance for their support. The support for Haatainen was slightly lower than the level of the whole country in sparsely-populated areas, while the support for Huhtasaari was slightly focused on areas outside urban areas.
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Difference between the support for the candidates in the whole country and in areas specified by degree of urbanisation in the Presidential election 2018, %
Tables in databases Election map service
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Contents Tables Appendix tables Appendix table 1. Voting percentage of FInnish citizens resident in Finland by constituency, Presidential elections 2018, 2012 and 2006, first election (%)......................................................................................................................9
Presidential elections, quality description.................................................................................................................10
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Appendix tables Appendix table 1. Voting percentage of FInnish citizens resident in Finland by constituency, Presidential elections 2018, 2012 and 2006, first election (%) First round First round First round 2018 2012 2006 Whole country
69.9
72.8
73.9
Helsinki
72.1
76.6
76.3
Uusimaa
71.4
75.6
77.1
Varsinais-Suomi
71.3
73.6
75.3
Satakunta
70.6
71.9
74.1
Häme
69.2
71.8
73.0
Pirkanmaa
71.4
73.6
74.6
Southeast Finland
67.8
..
..
..
70.7
72.5
Kymi South Savo Savo-Karelia North Savo North Karelia
..
69.4
70.8
66.3
..
..
..
68.9
67.9
..
67.0
67.3
Vaasa
71.2
73.4
74.8
Central Finland
69.1
71.8
72.6
Oulu
67.5
71.0
72.6
Lapland
67.4
71.6
72.0
Region of Åland
58.7
56.4
57.7
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Presidential elections, quality description 1. Relevance of statistical information 1.1 Summary of the information content of statistics Presidential elections are held by direct popular vote every six years. Statistics Finland produces official statistics on presidential elections, which consist of the first and second elections for the President of the Republic. The main content includes: the numbers and percentages of votes cast for presidential candidates separated into votes received in advance voting and on the actual election day, information on the numbers of persons entitled to vote and those who voted by gender, numbers of advance voters by gender. 1.2 Essential concepts Holding of elections According to the Finnish Constitution the President of the Republic is elected by direct vote for a term of six years. The President must be a native-born Finnish citizen. The same person may be elected President for no more than two consecutive terms of office. The President is elected by direct vote, if necessary in two rounds. The election day is the fourth Sunday of January in the election year. If one of the candidates receives more than half of the (approved) votes cast in this (first) election, he or she is elected President. If none of the candidates has received a majority of the votes cast, a new election will be held on the second Sunday after the first election between the two candidates who received most votes in the first election. The candidate receiving most votes in the second round is elected President. If only one candidate is nominated, he or she is appointed President without an election. The President assumes office on the first day of the month following the elections. A president has been elected by direct elections in 2012 (Sauli Niinistö), in 2006 (Tarja Halonen), in 2000 (Tarja Halonen) and in 1994 (Martti Ahtisaari). Before that the President was elected: • • • • •
By Parliament in 1919 (K.J. Ståhlberg) and 1946 (J.K. Paasikivi); By electors in 1925 (Lauri Kristian Relander), in 1931 (P.E. Svinhufvud), in 1937 (Kyösti Kallio), in 1950 (J.K. Paasikivi), in 1956, 1962, 1968 and 1978 (Urho Kekkonen), and in 1982 (Mauno Koivisto); By the electors of 1937 in 1940 and 1943 (Risto Ryti); With a special enactment in 1944 (Mannerheim) and in 1974 (Urho Kekkonen); and Through a combination of direct and electoral elections in 1988 (Mauno Koivisto).
Legislation on elections The present basic provisions relating to the election of the President are included in the Finnish Constitution and by the revision of election legislation in 1998, all provisions on elections were collected into one single act, the Election Act (714/1998), which entered into force on 8 October 1998. Elections are held in accordance with the Election Act in force, more details on the Ministry of Justice’s web pages www.vaalit.fi (=> Legislation) and www.finlex.fi, Election Act (714/1998). Election procedure and changes Up to the 1982 election, the President was elected by an indirect election procedure. The citizens voted for a college of 300 electors who assembled to elect the President of the Republic. In 1981, the Constitution was amended by increasing the number of electors in the college to 301. The Presidential election procedure was reviewed twice, in 1987 and 1991, to make it more democratic: • •
In 1987, the procedure was a mixed election system in which those entitled to vote cast their votes both direct for a presidential candidate and for an electoral college candidate. In 1991, direct popular vote was introduced where voters cast their vote direct for a presidential candidate without voting for an intermediary elector, and the two rounds of the election procedure mean that a new election is held between the two candidates who received most votes in the first election if none of the candidates receives over 50 per cent of votes in the first election. 10
The main principles of holding elections All elections in Finland are held according to the following principles: • • •
• •
The elections are direct. Electors (those entitled to vote) vote direct for the persons they want to be elected. The elections are secret. Secrecy of the ballot means that neither the election authorities nor anyone else get to know for whom voters have cast their votes or whether they have returned an empty ballot. The right to vote is universal and equal. Universal franchise means that the right to vote only depends on requirements which citizens usually fulfil. Equal franchise means that every person entitled to vote has an equal right to influence the election results. In general elections everybody has one vote. Voting is personal. The right to vote may not be used through an agent. Voting must take place in front of election authorities.
Right to vote and voting register, voting and calculation of the election result Right to vote Every Finnish citizen is entitled to vote in Presidential elections provided the person has reached the age of 18 no later than on the day of the election of first election. Voting register The Population Register Centre compiles a register of everyone entitled to vote (voting register) 46 days before the election day. The voting register includes personal data on each person entitled to vote (name, personal identity code, constituency, municipality of domicile and polling station) included in the Population Information System on the 51st day prior to the election day. The voting register is established on 13 December 2017 based on the information included in the Population Information System on 8 December 2017. The voting register is publicly available at the local register offices (maistraatti) from 41 days before the election day onwards (i.e. from 18 December 2017). In addition, everyone in the register is sent a notice of his or her right to vote (card of information) not later than 24 days before the election day (4 January 2018). The card states among other things the election day, the days for advance voting, the address of the polling station of the recipient and the addresses and telephone numbers of the election authorities. The voting register is later used to print out electoral rolls for the polling stations on the election day. Claims for correction of the register have to be submitted to the local register offices not later than 16 days before election day and the local register office will decide the claims not later than 13 days before election day. The voting register becomes legally valid at noon 12 days prior to the election day, that is, on Tuesday 16 January 2018 at noon. Voting Persons with a right to vote can vote either 1) during advance voting, or 2) on the election Sunday. Advance voting is conducted in the first and second elections both in Finland and abroad. Each person entitled to vote can vote in advance in general advance polling stations in Finland and abroad at Finnish embassies. On the election day an enfranchised person may vote only in the polling station of his or her own voting district. The voting day for the first election is Sunday 28 January 2018. A voter need not give grounds for advance voting, but may freely choose between voting in advance or voting on the election day. Advance voting commences on the 11th day (17 January 2018) and ends abroad on the 8th day (20 January 2018) and in Finland on the 5th day (23 January 2018) before the election day. The voting day for the possible second election is Sunday 11 February 2018. Advance voting takes place in Finland between 30 January and 6 February 2018 and abroad between 31 January and 3 February 2018. Counting of the election results
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The election results are counted as in parliamentary elections, except that the d’Hondt method is not used. The votes of the candidates are counted, and the candidates are ranked in order of number of votes received. If the numbers are the same, the order is drawn by lot. After both elections the Electoral District Committee of Helsinki confirms the final number of votes received by the candidates in the entire country, and informs the Ministry of Justice of them. If one of the candidates in the first election has received more than one half of the votes cast, the Government declares in the Ministry of Justice's presentation that he or she has been elected President. If none of the candidates has received over one half of the votes cast, the Ministry of Justice declares that a second election between the two candidates who have received most votes will be held in two weeks. After the second election the Government establishes which candidate has received most votes and thus been elected President. Eligibility and nomination of candidates Eligibility A Presidential candidate must be a native-born citizen of Finland. Nomination of candidates A presidential candidate may be nominated 1. By registered parties from whose lists at least one representative was elected in the parliamentary elections preceding the presidential elections, and 2. By constituency associations established by at least 20,000 people entitled to vote. A political party or an association of eligible voters may nominate only one candidate. Each party chooses its candidate according to its own rules and regulations. Political parties and constituency associations may nominate the same candidate. The candidates enter as candidates in the entire country. A party and constituency association must submit its candidate application to the Electoral District Committee of Helsinki not later than 47 days before the election day on Tuesday 12 December 2017 by 4 pm. The Committee checks the applications and confirms the nomination of candidates 38 days before the election day on Friday 15 December 2017 by compiling a list of candidates in which the candidates are enumerated in an order drawn by lot. The list contains the following information on the candidates: number (beginning with number 2), name, municipality of residence and title, profession or position. The list is displayed in the polling booths, for instance. If the second election is held, the Electoral District Committee of Helsinki compiles a new list of candidates including both candidates in the second election with the same numbers they had in the first election. Voting percentage = proportion of voters of persons entitled to vote Statistics on general elections include four different voting percentages: 1. 2. 3. 4.
The voting percentage of Finnish citizens resident in Finland. The voting percentage of Finnish citizens resident abroad. The total voting percentage which includes both of the above. A separate percentage for persons belonging to group 2 above and living in Sweden.
Valid and invalid ballots taken into account in the advance voting As a rule, counting of advance votes starts at 3 pm on the actual election Sunday. The count may be brought forward in large electoral districts; the earliest possible starting time being 12 noon. The objective is to finish the counting of advance votes by 8 pm, from which time onwards preliminary data may be released. Constituencies The whole country is one single constituency in Presidential elections. Therefore, when counting the election results, seats are not allocated to different regions. All statistics do, however, present results also by constituency in order to maintain the comparability of different elections.
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Changes in constituencies and municipalities and consolidations of municipalities Changes in constituencies and municipalities and consolidations of municipalities concerning elections of different years are presented on the Internet in the Classifications section (on the homepage of Presidential elections). Municipalities are placed into constituencies according to the constituency division in force. Classifications used Statistics Finland's classification of municipalities, constituency, municipality, voting district, party (entered in the Party Register), age of candidates and elected, country of residence. Candidates have been nominated in the Presidential elections 2018 by the following registered parties and constituency associations: • • • • • • • •
The Finnish Social Democratic Party (SDP) - Tuula Haatainen Centre Party of Finland (KESK) - Matti Vanhanen Swedish People's Party in Finland (RKP) - Nils Torvalds Green League (VIHR) - Pekka Haavisto Left Alliance (VAS) - Merja Kyllönen Finns Party (PS) - Laura Huhtasaari Constituency association B - Sauli Niinistö Constituency association A - Paavo Väyrynen
Data collection methods and data sources Statistics Finland receives basic election data from the Ministry of Justice’s election data system, the technical implementation of which is assigned to Tieto Oyj. 1.3 Acts, decrees and recommendations The function of Statistics Finland is to compile statistics describing conditions in society (Statistics Finland Act of 24 January 1992/48). These also include election statistics. Statistics Finland’s Rules of Procedure define the Population and Social Statistics department as the producer of election statistics (Statistics Finland’s Rules of Procedure, TK-00-1743-16).
2. Methodological description of survey The statistics are based on census data. The basic data of the statistics are based on the Ministry of Justice's election information system consisting of six subsystems. They include: 1. Basic data on constituencies, municipalities and voting districts as well as election authorities, among others; 2. Data on polling stations (polling station register), which include data on general advance polling stations and polling stations on the election day; 3. Franchise data (voting register), for which data on every person entitled to vote are collected by the Population Register Centre 46 days before the election day. The voting register includes personal data on each person entitled to vote (name, personal identity code, constituency, municipality of domicile and polling station) included in the Population Information System on the 51st day prior to the election day. The voting register becomes legally valid at noon 12 days prior to the election day; 4. Data on candidates (candidate register) in which the following data on each candidate in the elections are entered: name, candidate number, profession, municipality of residence, party/constituency association that has nominated the candidate, and personal identity code; 5. A centralised calculation system to which the electoral district committees and the central election committees submit their results of the elections; 6. The statistics and information service system by means of which the results of the elections and other statistical data are transmitted to the media and to Statistics Finland. Statistics Finland's election data system comprises two election data files: regional file and candidate file.
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3. Correctness and accuracy of data The basic data of the election statistics derive from the Ministry of Justice’s election data system and from data supplied by the election authorities, which can be considered reliable.
4. Timeliness and accuracy of data The confirmed data always differ somewhat from the figures of the preliminary statistics.
5. Accessibility and transparency/clarity of data The statistics are released on the Internet, in the StatFin online service and on the statistics pages on presidential elections. Election result data by municipality and voting district and the numbers of votes gained by the candidates are entered into the StatFin online service. Releases and time series tables in addition to the tables concerning the elections in question are available in three languages (Finnish, Swedish and English) on the statistics pages on Presidential elections.
6. Comparability of statistics The new statistical grouping of municipalities (urban, semi-urban and rural) was introduced starting from the year 2000. Prior to that, municipalities were grouped as follows: towns and other municipalities. Changes in constituencies and municipalities between elections have been taken into account in statistics which contain comparative data with the previous elections. Election results are presented on the statistics pages on Presidential elections since 1925.
7. Coherence and consistency/uniformity and documentation The Ministry of Justice publishes exhaustive information about different elections and the national candidate register and election result data on its web pages (www.vaalit.fi). The statistics on advance voters published by the Ministry of Justice differ from Statistics Finland’s statistics on advance voters, because they are defined on different grounds: • •
The Ministry of Justice counts the number of advance voters from the number of those entitled to vote, whereas Statistics Finland counts the number of advance voters from the number of all persons who voted.
The classifications used in the statistics can be found on Statistics Finland’s website.
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Elections 2018
Inquiries Sami Fredriksson Jaana Asikainen Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma
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ISSN 1796-0479 = Official Statistics of Finland ISSN 2242-3699 (pdf)
